The Right Moment
by Elissa707
Summary: Something is off with Clint and Steve investigates. M/M Slash! Don't like, please don't read. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FREUDIAN SLIPS. TITLE CHANGED: formerly known as "Inevitable" but I think this fits a bit better.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Avengers.**

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I was walking out of the conference room, after a discussion with Fury. We had been talking about the Avengers, just standard bureaucracy. I turned to head towards the gym, SHIELD had the best gyms, when I saw Clint heading the same way. I smiled to myself and jogged a bit to catch up.

"Hello, Clint." I greeted him. "How are you?"

"Hey, Cap. I'm alright." He replied quietly, looking straight ahead. I frowned mentally; something seemed to be bothering him.

"You sure about that? You can always come to me if you need something." I told him, only a little concerned.

"Yea, I'm fine. Nothing I can't handle on my own. Thanks though." He slowed down as we reached a fork, he leaned to the left whereas I needed to go straight.

"Ok, but my doors always open." I reminded him. "Goodbye." He flashed a quick, small smile and walked away. I continued down the hall, wondering what was bothering him.

After working out, I went into the showers. I noticed some other Agents already there; I nodded a greeting, politely keeping my gaze above their necks, and went to the unoccupied shower, a little away from them. As I stripped down and soaped up, I found myself listening in on their conversation.

"Damn little queer… I always felt like he was watching me. Guess we know now that he was. Fucking faggot." Said one of them. Only my training kept me from walking over and throwing a haymaker at him.

"I know, whenever we were working out or worse, changing, I could feel his eyes on me. It's disgusting." Replied the other. The third just said "mhm" and agreed with them all. I made a mental note to talk to Agent Coulson and get these three punished. I finished washing quickly and left, but I made sure to memorize each of their faces, for later.

I redressed and went to find Agent Coulson, walking onto the bridge where he usually was. Thankfully, he was there and he waved at me. After exchanging greetings, I brought up the agents. He immediately brought me to a computer and we found them. He assured me that they would be investigated thoroughly and thanked me for the alert. He invited me to a little get-together he was throwing and I agreed to go. I shook his hand and then left, deciding to head back home for some more training.

This plan was interrupted by my being felled by Clint. He had dropped down suddenly and fell on top of me.

"Damn, sorry Cap, I didn't see you coming up the hall." He said, offering me his hand. I took it and stood up. He immediately released my hand and looked around to find the hallway empty.

"What were you doing up on the rafters?" I asked him, brushing dust off my pants. He glanced at me but quickly looked away.

"Just wandering, practicing." He replied, and I could see that he wanted to leave.

"Alright, well make sure you look before you fall, so you don't drop onto anyone else." I teased lightly, and he smiled the small smile that I was used to from him.

"You should stop sneaking up on assassins, might have less of them fall on you." He replied. I was mildly surprised, he normally didn't tease back.

"An assassin should know when someone is coming, shouldn't he?" I said back, watching him.

"And who's to say that you weren't my target and that the fall wasn't an ambush?" he shot back. I laughed and though he remained silent, his eyes lit up with mirth. On impulse, I asked him to join me for a drink and to watch the game. He hesitated but agreed. We planned to meet up at the bar at six. We parted and I went home. I took a shower and switched out of my "low key Captain" costume (A blue button up with dark blue pants and my shield) in favor of more casual clothing. I checked the time and saw that I was going to be a few minutes late if I didn't head out right away.

Despite my speeding, I was still about five minutes late and Clint was at the bar looking rather worried and oddly… sad. There was a large gap between him and the rest of the patrons but I disregarded that fact as irrelevant. I joined him and apologized for being late. He seemed happier now that I had shown up. I wondered idly if he had been thinking that I was just going to blow him off. We both ordered beers and talked about everything and nothing. We had drunken quite a few and were discussing the various Avengers when the trio from the showers walked in, quite angry and obviously already rather drunk. I didn't notice them right away, I just saw Clint shrink a bit in his chair and the vibrant light in his eyes dimmed significantly.

The trio didn't notice Clint or me at the bar; they got a nearby table and were very loudly discussing the fact that they were all under investigation. Clint looked somewhat nervous and I saw him darting glances between me and the trio.

"What's wrong, Clint?" I asked, wondering what was between the trio and him.

"No-nothing. Just, those three are making me nervous." He replied, carefully keeping his face hidden from them. I frowned and looked at them.

"They're not exactly nice, but it's not like they're that skilled. If they start a brawl, I assure you, you and I will come out victorious." I replied somewhat confused.

"I'm not worried about a fight, I'm wor-" he started, but interrupted by one of the soon-to-be-former agents coming up to the bar, probably to order a drink, and seeing Clint. I watched the man's face, intrigued by how you can tell on a drunk man's face exactly when they are going to explode. I counted 3, 2, 1 in my head before the man started shouting.

"You! It's all your fault that we're on probation!" He started. I saw Clint's face and decided to intervene. I tapped the man's shoulder and raised my eyebrows at him.

"What do YOU want, fag?" he spat at me. I raised my eyebrows again and stood up.

"What I want, former agent; is for you to stop harassing an Avenger and my teammate." I said back evenly.

"Teammate? You're no Avenger." He replied, clearly too drunk to recognize me without my star and stripes. Clint looked indignant at this.

"No Avenger? He's the original Avenger, that's Captain America, you idiot." He said, looking more secure now that he knew I wouldn't leave him to fight this on his own.

"Captain America? What the fuck are you hanging around with this faggot for?" He asked me, eyes bulging.

"I'm 'hanging around' with my teammate and friend. Now I'd recommend that you go back to your table and stop making homophobic, juvenile slurs before I get intimate with your face." I replied calmly. I really hate stupid people. Clint looked relieved. The man nodded dumbly and left, looking confused. He started talking and gesticulating wildly to his friends. Clint watched me for a long moment before speaking.

"Thanks for the backup."

"Anytime." I replied, finishing my beer. "I really don't like homophobic people. It's annoying."

The game started and it got very loud. Clint shifted his stool to be closer to mine so we could hear each other better. We continued our conversation, occasionally making remarks about the football game, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see another one of the trio and I shrugged his hand off of me.

"What do you want?" I asked, preparing myself in case there was a fight.

"I just wanted to warn you Captain." He replied and I silently raised my eyebrows.

"About what?" I asked.

"Well, your… teammate there is gay." I saw Clint pale out of the corner of my eye. I remained silent. The man continued, thinking I didn't understand. "You know, he likes men? Homosexual? Faggot? He probably watches yo-" I stood up and looked down at him, I was at least three inches taller.

"If you ever call my friend, or anyone for that matter, a faggot again, you will find yourself pissing sitting down for the rest of your life. Now kindly get you and your friends out of here, before I use you for practice." I said deadly serious. I felt Clint's curious gaze on me as I watched the man scurry out after whispering frantically.

I sat back down and signaled the barkeep for another round before I turned back to Clint. He touched my forearm lightly.

"Thank you." He said and there was a deep gratitude in his eyes that made me smile.

"I was happy to, Clint."

We stayed at the bar for another half hour, long enough for us both to get pleasantly tipsy but not enough to get full out drunk. I paid the tab, ignoring Clint's protests, and we left the bar. I felt that something was wrong the second the door shut behind us and I immediately ducked, missing getting smashed in the back of the head with what appeared to be a baseball bat by a second. I saw Clint go down and I looked for the attacker. I saw him come at me, so I threw myself at him, snapping his head hard enough on the ground to earn him a concussion and visit from the sandman. A second one swung the bat at me and I caught it, thanking the scientist's supersoldier serum for the millionth time, and jerked it out of the assailant's hands. I snapped it in half, mainly to frighten, and I saw a third start to run. I threw half of the bat, dropping the other, at his head and I saw him crumple to the ground. While I was doing that, the second threw a punch at me and I ducked, nailing him a few times in the stomach. He went down and I caught him; I covered his mouth and nose and waited for him to stop struggling, at which point I dropped him. I then ran to Clint.

I supported his head gently and lifted him into my lap. His eyes were open but unfocused. I heard the door of the bar open, a gasp, and then a woman say she would call the police. I nodded while I tapped Clint on the nose to get his attention.

"Clint, are you in there?" I asked worriedly. He moaned and I gently and carefully felt the back of his head. It felt sticky and I took my hand away to find it bloody. My eyes widened.

"Clint, you need to stay with me, focus on my words, ok? The ambulance is on its way and those idiots are unconscious. I need you to stay with me." His eyes rolled around in the general direction of me and I heard him slur.

"Nngh uh Corse Cab'n. Ad nebr leabe ooo… Ah dove ooo roo mush."

I heard the sound of the ambulance and I waved my free arm. I lifted Clint onto the gurney and went with them into the ambulance, ignoring the EMT's assuring me that I wasn't needed.

A few hours later, I convinced the doctor to discharge Clint into my care. I drove him to my house, keeping an eye on him as he was rather heavily dosed on painkillers. He kept rolling the window down and trying to stick his head out, saying something about how hawks need to fly. After a somewhat nerve-wracking drive home, which included me pulling Clint back into the car after he managed to unbuckle himself and then listen to him pout, I led him to my bed. After bit of a struggle, I got him to lie down and stay still and to please keep the covers on, when he latched onto my arm. I tried to dislodge him but he held me with a surprising amount of strength.

"No. Stay with me." He said, sticking out his lower lip. I wondered becoming a four year old was a normal side effect of painkillers. He pulled on my arm repeated himself. "Stayyyyyy."

"No, Clint. It's not exactly appropriate frien-" I tried reasoning with him when he bit me. I stared at him in shock and he bared his teeth threateningly.

"Stay or I bite." He said, growling at me. I shook my head and I got into the bed. I pulled on the covers and he latched onto me again. I looked at the ceiling and groaned. I looked at the top of his head and he held on to me tighter.

"You aren't allowed to punch me tomorrow for this, alright?" I asked. He didn't reply; he was already asleep. I shook my head, carefully so as to not disturb him, and decided that when in a bed with a snuggly Hawkeye, just go with it.

Morning dawned and I awoke with Hawkeye still in my arms but watching me. He looked conflicted. When he saw I was awake, he met my gaze and spoke.

"What exactly happened last night…? I didn't drink near enough to have forgotten it and my head feels like someone hit me with a hammer. Also, why am I in your bed?"

"Those idiots ambushed us. You did, in fact, get hit in the head but with a baseball bat, not a hammer. You're in my bed because you couldn't be left alone and I know you don't like hospitals. When I tried to leave you in here, you held onto my arm like it was the key to immortality and told me that you would bite me if I tried to leave." I replied. He looked sheepish and moved away from me. I let him.

"Ah… sorry about that…" he replied and I shrugged.

"It's all fine." I saw that he was still uncomfortable. "I'm hungry, are you?" He nodded and I stood up. I stretched quickly and showed him to the kitchen. I made him sit down and I made some breakfast. While I cooked, we had a light, nothing conversation that he looked like a man sentence to death row. Once the last bacon strip was fried, I set the food on the table and handed him a mug of coffee. He smiled in thanks and we ate.

"Wow Cap, if you ever get sick of the hero gig, you definitely have a future as a diner chef." He said when we finished eating. I laughed and shook my head.

"Nah, way too predictable. I'd never want to know exactly how my next day was going." I replied. He laughed at me.

"Ah yes, much more fun not knowing which day will be your last." He replied with a dark grin. Suddenly the joviality vanished and he looked quite serious. "Look Cap, I'm sorry about last night. I should have warned you that those guys aren't exactly the kind who'll back off."

I shook my head at him. "You didn't do anything wrong. You had no way of knowing that they were going to ambush us."

"Yea, but they weren't ambushing _us_, they were after me." He replied. I shook my head again.

"They were after you because I reported them for making homophobic slurs in the bathroom." I said, standing up and taking the dirty dishes away. Clint watched me, a guarded expression on his face. Finally he asked a question.

"Why would you do that? You had nothing to gain." I turned and looked at him for a long moment.

"Nothing to gain? Maybe. But I had an awful lot to lose." I decided to leave the dishes and take care of them later. Clint had an odd look on his face and I just continued speaking.

"Alright, I need to speak with Fury and Agent Coulson about this. And you need some more rest. Would you like me to take you home or would you like to stay here?"

"Can't I go with you?" He asked and something in his eyes made me hesitate before saying no.

"Do you promise to stay with me and not do anything stupid?"

"Yes." He replied. I nodded.

"Let's go then."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, Coulson is alive because FUDGE YOU MOVIE MAKERS HE SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED YOU JERKS and I needed him in this story. It's a oneshot plot that wouldn't leave me alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Avengers**

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Fury promised that the men would be found and held accountable and Agent Coulson repeatedly apologized for the attack. I ignored it all, watching Clint worriedly as he seemed on the verge of falling asleep leaning on the wall. I nodded to Fury and Coulson and took Clint's arm. He snapped back to attention and a very, very faint pink tinge touched his cheeks. I studied the effect interestedly before leading him out of the room, still holding his arm lightly. We walked out, him not resisting my lead and me not sure why I was leading him still. After reaching the car, I turned to Clint.

"So, you need rest. You were falling asleep on a wall, don't even try to argue. Do you want me to drive you home?" I asked him. I saw disappointment flash on his face and he hesitated a moment. I guessed what was wrong and added "You are always welcome to stay with me." He looked grateful.

"Thanks, Cap… I just don't really want to be alone right now. I'm sorry for being so… needy." He replied, sounding sad. I touched his arm and smiled.

"It's not a problem, not in the slightest. I'd rather have you around and know you were ok over sending you home and worrying. I would probably show up at your place anyways, to check on you." I turned my head back and started the car. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the grateful smile that rested on Clint's face as he reclined, eyes shut, in the passenger seat. I smiled back, despite the fact the he couldn't see me, and drove us home.

We reached my house and I turned to ask him what he wanted for lunch to see that he was fast asleep. An amused smile found my face and I got out of the car. Considering my options, I decided that he needed his sleep. So I opened his door, unbuckled him, and ever so gently lifted him out of the car. Frowning, I found him to be lighter than a healthy 20-something year old man should be. I made a mental note to cook something meaty and unhealthy for dinner and carried him into the house, trying to not think about the connotations of carrying someone bridal-style over a threshold. I walked up the stairs and watched Clint's face as he slept. I laid him carefully onto my bed, again, and covered him up. I smiled at him and ran a finger along his arm.

"Sleep well, Clint." I whispered, quietly backing out of the room and shutting the door. I went downstairs and decided to clean those dishes. After I did that, I went to the bathroom to take a quick shower and consider what to do about Clint. I then worked on catching up on the various reports I was supposed to be making for Fury. Around six o'clock I went into the kitchen and ran through the possible meals I could make, deciding that tonight would be a good night for burgers, fries, and soda. I started cooking and decided that a movie would be nice too. Just as I had nearly finished up cooking, I heard quiet, almost silent, footfalls on the stairs and I smiled. I glanced on the food, seeing that it would survive a few minutes unwatched, and walked out to see Clint looking guilty standing just outside the kitchen.

"Feel a bit better?" I asked, indicating that he should follow me into the kitchen. He nodded and sniffed the air with a smile.

"Cap, why are you so… nice? I mean, you defend me, let me stay in your house, sleep in your bed, take care of me, cook for me…" He asked, staring at me as I piled fries onto the plate that I placed in his hands.

"You're my friend." I replied simply. He shook his head at my response.

"You're… Jesus, You're one of a kind, you know?" Clint said, looking at me. I then shook my head and rolled my eyes slightly. He frowned. "Seriously, no one else I know would do half of that. Not even Natasha, she'd happily defend me and would let me crash on her couch, but that's about it." I shrugged and turned fully to him, leaning against the counter.

"Look, Clint. As far as I'm concerned, we're friends. And when a friend needs help, I give it, happily. I've _liked_ having you today. I _liked_ talking with you in the bar. Now, do you want ketchup?" He stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head. I told him to get whatever drink he wanted out of the refrigerator while I set my plate.

"Never change, Cap." He said quietly walking past me to the refrigerator and grabbing one of the cans.

"I don't intend to. Toss me a root beer, please." I replied and he did. "Do you want to eat at the table or watch a movie?"

"What movies do you have?" he asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"…A lot." I replied, deciding against listing them all. "Come on, I'll show you."

We stood in front of my entertainment system, Clint staring in shock at all the movies.

"How in the hell did you afford all of these?" He asked, alternating between staring at me and the movies. I shrugged.

"I owned stock in Sub-Zero, the kitchenware company, I was the first investor, before I 'died'. Directory Fury held it for me and when I was found, he returned it, including all the money made. Agent Coulson took me shopping… then this happened." I replied, feeling a bit awkward. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"You went shopping with Coulson?" he asked, an odd tone in his voice. I nodded.

"Yes, he and his wife helped me set up life here; she helped me choose this place and decorate and he helped me pick out the more 'fun' things. They were very patient in teaching me how to use these electronics, even after I erm… exploded the first few." I said, looking through the movies, glancing at him, and then pretending that I had never looked away from the movies. He looked at me before speaking.

"…You exploded stuff?" he asked, a smile in his voice. I sighed.

"Yes, I didn't know how to use the oven. Or the microwave. Television. Things had changed quite drastically since I last used them." I muttered, finding the movie I wanted to show him. "This one is quite good, have you seen it?" He laughed, probably at my initial failures at using technology, and then took the dvd from me.

"Star Wars? Of course I've seen it, it's a great series." He exclaimed.

"Want to watch it?" I asked and he nodded excitedly. I set it up and we sat on the couch together, holding our plates on our knees. As the movie progressed, our plates were moved to the coffee table, and I leaned a little on the armrest. Slowly but steadily, and seemingly unconsciously, Clint slid closer to me. I simply kept my arm up on the back of the couch, patiently waiting for the inevitable. About three quarters through the movie the migration was complete. Clint was so engrossed in the movie that he was now snuggled up to my side, my arm holding him gently, staring at the screen. I smiled to myself, thinking that he was more amusing than the movie; it seemed that he was too focused to bother with controlling his face and I saw all the emotions flicker across. I smiled and adjusted slightly. He shushed me and I resisted the urge to chuckle. Finally, though far too soon, the movie ended and Clint noticed that the seating arrangements had changed. His cheeks tinged again but didn't move and I didn't either.

"Want to watch the next one?" I asked him and he agreed. I carefully released him so that he wouldn't be jostled too much and switched the movies. I quickly went back to the couch and, with a noticeable hesitation, Clint lay against me again. I smiled at him, held him with one arm and I could hear his sigh of relief. The movie started again and I found myself absentmindedly rubbing small circles onto Clint's leg where my hand rested. Clint didn't seem to notice so I allowed myself the one indiscretion. I watched the screen unseeingly, not particularly caring for the movie. Clint nuzzled into my chest and I fought to keep my breath normal so I didn't scare him. I felt him yawn and I looked at the top of his head amusedly. I glanced at the screen, guessing that there was still a few hours left and that Clint would be asleep long before then. I rested my head and shut my eyes a moment, enjoying the feeling of a warm body against mine. I felt Clint settle fully against me and I smiled again, glad that he was this comfortable with me. I fought down a yawn and squeezed Clint lightly, before shutting my eyes again and letting myself fall asleep.

"Cap… come on Cap, wake up…" I heard a whisper and I opened my eyes to see Clint's face very close to mine. "There you are… we fell asleep on the couch. Come on, you should be in bed." He said, tugging gently on my arm. I blinked and then sat up.

"No, you're still recovering. I'm fine with the couch, you take the bed." I replied, grabbing his hand to stop his tugging but forgetting to actually let go.

"It's your bed, I'm fine." Said Clint and I shook my head. He seemed to see that I wasn't going to give in and he rolled his eyes, muttering about stupid nobility. "Come with me then."

I looked up at him in surprise and he dropped to his knees so he was eye level. I gulped at his sudden proximity and he smiled, oddly wolf-like. "Come on Captain… Come to bed. It's not like it's the first time we shared one." I decided to give in to his superior logic on the grounds that I was really tired and sharing was nice. We walked, still hand in hand, to bed. Once in bed, he kissed my cheek, whispered goodnight, and snuggled into me. I automatically held him and, after a moments debate, kissed the top of his head before falling asleep.

I woke first, surprised at how late we slept, glancing at the bedside clock it was already noon. I chose to stay in bed, holding Clint instead of getting up. I rested my head on top of his and held him a bit tighter. I dozed for a while before Clint turned around to face me, smiling.

"Good morning." I said and he "mhm"ed before snuggling closer and hiding in my chest. I smiled an affectionate smile at him and he seemed to suddenly realize what he was doing, for he darted back, blushed. I chuckled and hugged him before letting go.

"I, I'm sorry, I wasn't awake and you were so warm..." He stammered.

"Clint, relax. It's all fine, I would have stopped you if it was a problem." He still looked embarrassed so I pulled him back towards me in an odd-laying hug. I bent my head and rested it on his as I felt him relax against me.

"See? It's all fine." I said again and he nodded, I just held him until he shifted. He was still flushed but looked happier and I smiled at him. We both sat up, reluctant to leave the bed for some reason. Suddenly he looked away from me.

"Cap, why are you so ok with… sleeping with me?" he asked quietly. I touched his hand.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I replied; taking his hand and studying it, as always amazed at how they looked like everyday hands yet they could shoot an arrow through a fly's wing without killing it. I know, because I saw him do it.

"Those agents weren't lying, I really am gay…" he said, even quieter as though he expected me to yell. I raised my eyebrows.

"And…?"

"Most straight guys wouldn't be ok with so much as hugging a gay guy." He replied bitterly.

"I know." I said back, wondering when he would get what should have been obvious.

"And yet you're totally ok with it…" He continued. I nodded. He stared at me and I smiled back, not saying anything. He looked confused. I took pity.

"Why would a gay guy be threatened by another gay guy, especially if they were friends?" I asked. His eyes just about popped out of his skull.

"You… you're gay?" He asked loudly. I nodded, eyebrows raised. He stared and I went back to playing with his hand. He cleared his throat and looked at me.

"What is it, Clint?" I asked amused and having a feeling that I knew what he was going to ask.

"Are you uhm… with anyone?" he asked awkwardly.

"Not yet, but I've got someone in mind…" I said, looking at him and I saw disappointment in his eyes. "He's really quite something… Athletic, adorable, shockingly sensitive yet totally, what's the phrase… oh yes, badass. Funny and very, very attractive." I continued, staring off into space. I saw, out of the corner of my eye, pain flash across his face. I leaned forward slightly. He spoke, looking away from me.

"You should make a move then, he'd be a fool to not want you." I smiled and reached out a hand to touch his face. He looked at me, confused and surprised.

"I was waiting for the right moment." I whispered before leaning in to kiss him softly. I felt Clint melt into me and I held him to me tight, laying us back down. He pulled away and stared into my eyes.

"Really? Me?" He asked breathlessly. I tore my eyes away from his lips and met his gaze. I stroked his cheek and he leaned into my hand.

"Who else could compare to you?" I replied and this time, he kissed me. I smiled as I closed my eyes, kissing him back as gently as I could, wanting this moment to never end.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yup, that's it. Just a quick oneshot that I thought was cute and fluffy. So, how'd you like it?


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